Jamie Hogan, Eleanor Morse, and Beth Rand at Colors & Pages of Peaks at TEIA

What a magical evening for the island community to gather and celebrate authors and artists, while raising funds for TEIA camperships. Even though waning sunlight gilded the historic club’s wraparound porch, the view couldn’t compete with the attraction inside–fellowship, good food, and creativity.

Island authors selling and signing books

Art gallery at TEIA event

Colors & Pages of Peaks event at TEIA

As I bicycled home, a hot-selling copy of In the Shadow of the Sun (Scholastic) by Anne Sibley O’Brien, balanced in my handlebar basket. Seeing the book reminded me how Annie began writing it several years ago when the two of us buddied up for Nanowrimo or National Novel Writing Month. The 20-minute ferry traverse of the harbor offered us a precious slice of time for writing each day. With a nod, we recognized our mutual retreat to the far reaches of a bench and scribbled furiously until it was time to disembark.

The geopolitical timing of this YA political thriller, set in North Korea, couldn’t be more perfect. I can’t wait to start turning the pages.

In the Shadow of the Sun by Anne Sibley O’Brien (Scholastic

If you missed tonight, another opportunity awaits you–a pancake breakfast and ongoing display of creative works on Saturday, July 7, 2018 from 8 a.m. to noon.

Patricia Erikson blogs about Maine writers, travel, and science from a vibrant, literary community perched on Peaks Island, two miles off the coast of the beautiful and award-winning city of Portland, Maine. If you haven’t already, follow her on Instagram at @seashorewrite or subscribe to Peaks Island Press in the upper right corner at http://www.peaksislandpress.com